Improvement in shoe-shanks



UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

JEREMIAH WATSON, OF SHARON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIM- SELF AND H. LOTHROP, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHQE-SHANKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 132,125, dated October 8, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEREMIAH M. WATsoN, of Sharon, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Shoe-Shanks; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawing which accompanies and forms part of this specification, is a description of my invention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it:

United States Letters Patent No. 112,754., dated March 14, 1871, have been granted to me for an improved wooden shank for boots and shoes; which shank is composed of a series or layer of strips fastened at one end, so that although held together they may slip upon each other from the fastened ends to the opposite ones, the shanks being trimmed and formed to the irregular shape in cross-section and longitudinally, which is generally given to boot and shoe shanks.

My present invention relates particularly to the construction of these Wooden shanks.

In the said patented shanks the edges are trimmed to shape, but in my present invention, having roughened out the strip or strips I shape the strip or strips of wood by pressure in dies, taking dry wood and placing the strips together united at one end, and then without heating, steaming, or moistening the blank, subjecting it to pressure in the dies in such manner as to round and shape the edges and surfaces and impart the longitudinal bend this process insuring smoother surfaces, better finish, and greater elasticity, and better f permanency of form.

My invention consists in a wooden shank, pressed into shape to insure smooth surfaces and flush edges and permanent form by suitable dies.

The drawing represents a wooden shank thus pressed or molded into form. A shows a shank in perspective. B is a cross-section of it.

The shank is shown as made of three strips of wood, a b c, which may be fastened together at one end bytacks or pins 6, or may be otherwise connected; or the shanks may be formed by slitting a blank from one end nearly through to the other. Having been roughly cut out and the wood being perfectly dry, I place it upon a die or between dies having one curved concave die-surface exactly shaped to impart the smooth convex surface which the outer face of the shank should possess, and by pressure between these dies without heat, the dry strips are pressed and brought down so as to have thin smooth edges and a smooth convex back, the shank being made very hard and tough but very elastic. Any suitable number of strips may be used, but as the wood can be very much compressed by the dies a less number of strips is required to form a good shank than in making the shank described in.my Patent No. 112,754.. Although I prefer to form the shanks from dry wood they'may be formed of Wood containing more or less moisture, or even steamed, in which case, however, I prefer to use heated dies that will dry the shank before it is released.

I claim A wooden shank, shaped by pressure in dies, substantially as described.

Executed at Boston this 10th day of August, A. D. 1872.

JEREMIAH M. WATSON. Witnesses:

FRANoIs GOULD, T. B. KIDDER. 

